Pricing
Buy it once. Own it forever.
No monthly fees. No per-site subscriptions. No pricing tier that makes your proposal awkward. One-time purchase, licensed per domain. Bake it into your project cost and move on.
Standard
$195
One-time · per domain
- 18 built-in content types
- 36 admin field types
- Blog with categories & tags
- Depot file management
- Access Groups & permissions
- Image & text watermarking
- MCP server — AI agents read public content
- REST API
- White-label admin
Pro
$395
One-time · per domain
- Everything in Standard
- Custom schemas
- API keys & webhooks (external API)
- Full AI agent access — private content & writes
- OAuth 2.1 server
- Data Views & Automations
- Deck repeatable fields
- Full white-label
- PHP CLI automation
Enterprise
Let’s talk
Custom licensing & hosting
- Everything in Pro
- Managed hosting on a dedicated VPS
- Volume & multi-domain licensing
- Priority support
- Custom terms & invoicing
No credit card required · Full Pro features during trial
Compare
Every feature, tier by tier.
A full breakdown of what's included at each license level.
| Feature | Standard | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Content | ||
| 18 built-in content types | ✓ | ✓ |
| 36 admin field types | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom schemas | — | ✓ |
| Blog with categories & tags | ✓ | ✓ |
| Depot file management | ✓ | ✓ |
| Deck fields (repeatable sections) | — | ✓ |
| Card fields (nested objects) | — | ✓ |
| ImageWorks image processing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Image & text watermarking | ✓ | ✓ |
| Site Builder (pages, routes, templates) | ✓ | ✓ |
| JumpStart export/import | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI & Agents | ||
| MCP server (public content, read-only) | ✓ | ✓ |
| AI access to private content | — | ✓ |
| AI agent content writes | — | ✓ |
| OAuth 2.1 server | — | ✓ |
| Algolia search | — | ✓ |
| Admin | ||
| Access Groups & permissions | ✓ | ✓ |
| Permission matrix & view-as-user | ✓ | ✓ |
| White-label admin | ✓ | ✓ |
| Full white-label | — | ✓ |
| Email notifications (Mailer) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bulk Mailer | — | ✓ |
| Playground template testing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi-language admin (7 languages) | ✓ | ✓ |
| Extensions (install & manage) | ✓ | ✓ |
| APIs & Automation | ||
| PHP API | ✓ | ✓ |
| REST API | ✓ | ✓ |
CLI (tcms) |
✓ | ✓ |
| External access with API keys | — | ✓ |
| Webhook form actions | — | ✓ |
| Data Views | — | ✓ |
| Automations (schedules, webhooks, content events) | — | ✓ |
| QR codes & barcodes | ✓ | ✓ |
| RSS & sitemap builders | ✓ | ✓ |
| WordPress publishing API | — | ✓ |
Upgrades
Smart upgrades, built right in.
To keep upgrades simple and error-free, they are not purchased through this website. Instead, Total CMS 3 includes a built-in store in the admin dashboard that automatically recognizes your domain and license and shows only the upgrade paths available to you. The pricing below is provided as a reference — your dashboard will always present the correct options and pricing for your license.
Total CMS Lite is no longer sold. Existing Lite licenses remain fully supported — you can renew updates, rehome to a new domain, or upgrade to Standard or Pro at the prices shown.
| From \ To | Standard | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| New Purchase | $195 | $395 |
| Total CMS 1 | $125 | $325 |
| T3 Lite | $115 | $325 |
| T3 Standard | — | $225 |
| T3 Pro | — | — |
Updates
Buy once. Use forever. Update when you want.
Total CMS 3 includes two years of free updates and feature releases with every license. When that period ends, you're free to renew updates only if it benefits you. Your installed version will never stop working, even if updates expire. This is not a subscription. You own your license, your software, and your workflow.
| Edition | 1 Year | 5 Years |
|---|---|---|
| Lite | $25 | $85 |
| Standard | $45 | $155 |
| Pro | $85 | $295 |
FAQ
Licensing questions, answered.
Total CMS is licensed per domain — what counts as a domain?
A license covers a single production website, tied to the domain it runs on (for example, example.com). Each additional live site needs its own license.
Do I need separate licenses for dev or staging domains?
No. Every license includes two subdomains for development and testing (for example staging.example.com and dev.example.com) at no extra cost. Only additional production sites need their own license.
Can I move my license to a different domain?
Yes. Within 12 months of purchase it’s free — no need to buy again. After that a small re-homing fee applies: $35 Lite, $75 Standard, $125 Pro. Either way it’s handled from your Total CMS admin dashboard.
What happens when my updates period expires?
Nothing breaks. Total CMS 3 includes two years of free updates with every license. When that period ends, your installed version keeps working exactly as it did — you're only locked out of new updates and feature releases until you choose to renew. This is not a subscription; renewing is entirely optional.
How do upgrades between tiers work?
Upgrades aren't purchased through this website. Total CMS 3 includes a built-in store in the admin dashboard that recognizes your domain and license automatically, and shows only the upgrade paths available to you at the correct price. The upgrade table above is a reference — your dashboard is always the source of truth.
Where do I buy a license?
Head to the Store to purchase Standard or Pro.
What's your refund policy?
Every license comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee — no questions asked. We'd rather you never need it: the free 45-day trial includes every Pro feature, so you can be sure Total CMS fits before spending anything. If a purchase still doesn't work out, contact support within 30 days for a full refund.
What are the terms of the free trial?
The trial gives you full Pro features for 45 days, no credit card required. Install it, run it on a live or local domain, and decide before you buy. When the trial ends, purchase a license from the Store to keep going — nothing is deleted or locked away from you.
Get Started
Ready to own your content?
Try Total CMS free for 45 days with full Pro features, or buy your license today and get started right away.
Still comparing options? See how Total CMS stacks up against WordPress, Craft, Kirby and more — or start with our CMS buying guides.